Hello guys!

Today I want to talk about fake black belts in martial arts! Yes you’ve hear me – FAKE. It’s just got to the point where you find a heap of sham adverts everywhere you turn about the martial arts. Therefore, I’ve decided to write (brag) about it in order to give some perspective.
How to get 3 Dan in period of six months? Sounds funny? Impossible? But guess what -  you can get 32 black belts in 32 different martial art styles in less then 2 weeks time for as little as £ 32.000!!! Is it fake – YES! And I even met people (the ones whom already used the services of course) proudly telling me about it and trying to convince me that they are true masters of all the martial arts!
There are plenty places even in London where you can gain black belt in less then 2 weeks time! But this is nothing compared to one where you can get one in just under 6 hours  such a lovely sham deal for a great price ! Who could truly believe that they can become a true expert and black belt owner in just 6 hours without any initial and vigorous training for years? Apparently there are some who believe.
So my question is why we do train 5-6 times week, 12 months per year for 30-50 years staying in a smelly dojo with bunch of people if you can get it done in 2 weeks time or even better in 6 hours?!!
It seems to me that in these days all the traditions are being forsaken in order to profit from unknowing people.
One of the sham school student claiming started 6 hours course back in 2005 after - 6 hours he got 1^st Dan black belt, after another 6 hours he gained 2^nd Dan black belt (how did they do it – used a MATRIX machine to download it directly to the brain?) , and he feels stronger then ever! Must I pinpoint that style of the martial arts remains unknown! This is but the tip of the iceberg, if the founders of martial arts would hear about our day’s shams and fake awards they would turn in their graves!
Do not get tricked in to fake adverse, fake instructors and their fake promises. In order to achieve the real black belt people are working very hard and training for years!

So what do you need in order to compete for a real black belt? The requirements vary depending on the martial arts branch and history, but the basics are the same:  
Kiokushin -  10 fights 2 min
Shindokai - 13 fights 2 min
Shidokan -10 fights  2 min

Back to history (100 men Kumite)

The contestants bone structure has to be fully formed (The average male bone structure is fully formed around 20 – 25 years of old, female 18 – 23) So please don’t tell me that some  six-year-old managed to get a black belt – he is not even qualified to stand for it!
The contestant must know all the techniques and above of the martial art he is representing
The contestant must know all the katas
The contestant must stand 20 fights (every fight lasting 3minutes) and not to fail.

Do you still want to train as before? Or you sigh for 6 hours training? :D

So guys, for everyone who is new to martial arts or anything else (yoga, meditation, breathing, exercises or any other sports):
Do the research on what you are going to learn, ask questions.
Find out where this or that techniques comes from
Who is the founder (what his/her achievements – don’t take their word for it but research elsewhere)
Find out all history (research the history of that sport – and not from them but different sources) and requirements.
At least try it in couple places. And I promise you will find what you are looking for.
Good luck and don’t get fooled!  And I want to finish my blog with couple words about martial arts and the way you have to train.

Keep the samurai spirit alive within.
Improve your character.
Train in agreement with your body.
Be calm and fast, modest and respectful.

OSU
Tadas Sveikackas

How to get maximum performance in training by just breathing?

This is my first Blog and I have decided to write it about breathing after the training. (So be easy)

Breathing Meditation is always good after your training lessons finished not many people do that and keep forgetting that martial arts are not only physical strength but also calm mind and strong spirit. That’s why Japanese Martial arts philosophy focuses on; Train your mind & Body.

So if you still reading it i guess you are interested:

Step 1.

Take a time of 10-15 min. After training and you will see how it will change your training for ever. The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make your mind clearer. This can be accomplished by practising a simple breathing meditation.

Step 2.

You choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position. You can sit in the traditional cross-legged posture or in any other position that is comfortable. If you wish, you can sit in a chair. The most important thing is to keep our back straight to prevent our mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy.

Step 3.

You will sit with our eyes partially closed and turn your attention to your breathing. You breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils, without attempting to control your breath, and you try to become aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This sensation is your object of meditation. You should try to concentrate on it to the exclusion of everything else.

What will you feel?

At first, your mind will be very busy, and you might even feel that the meditation is making your mind busier; but in reality you are just becoming more aware of how busy our mind actually is. There will be a great temptation to follow the different thoughts as they arise, but you should resist this and remain focused single-pointedly on the sensation of the breath. If you discover that our mind has wandered and is following our thoughts, you should immediately return it to the breath. You should repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath.

I personal suggest breathing exercise after training:

Breathe after training:

Place one hand flat on your chest.
Place one hand flat on your abdomen.
As you breathe, observe the movement of your hands.

Are both hands moving? If only the hand on your chest, then you are most likely shallow breathing. As you take your next deep breath, concentrate on making the hand on the abdomen be the one that rises up.

As you take a deep breath in, breath out slowly, gently blowing the air between your barely opened lips.

OSU

Tadas Sveikackas